


Best Friend

by PiningforPines



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Bisexual Legend, Eventual Smut, Fluff and Smut, How Do I Tag, I didn't mean for this to be my second fic okay, I wrote this is in a dazed blur at 3am, Implied Smut, LGBTQ Themes, Linked Universe (Legend of Zelda), M/M, Now I have to resolve it properly, Pan-Aro Hyrule, Porn With Plot, Rape/Non-con Elements, Ravioli, a little bit of plot with even less porn, linkcest - Freeform, or really
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-09
Updated: 2021-02-09
Packaged: 2021-03-12 22:21:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 3
Words: 13,666
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28642869
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PiningforPines/pseuds/PiningforPines
Summary: Legend is homesick, he misses his boyfriend, and he's starting to dream weird dreams about his best friend.OrLegend is horny and Hyrule is NOT helping.
Relationships: Hyrule & Legend (Linked Universe), Link/Ravio (Legend of Zelda)
Comments: 31
Kudos: 97





	1. Sweet Nightmares

**Author's Note:**

> **Warnings:** There is some slight non-con, but it's a dream that isn't supposed to make much sense. Folks, please don't read it if you think it'll bother you, there are other fics out there, take care of yourself <3
> 
> Also, I like just writing conversations between these boys. Fight me.

Legend didn’t know what was going on.

One moment he was enjoying himself, spending time with his friend as they explored the forest, laughing together—and the next, they’d found themselves on the ground. His head felt like it was cotton, and Hyrule…

Hyrule was kneeling over him, looking surprised but pleased, a small smile tugging at his lips, his cheeks red.

“Heh,” Hyrule laughed quietly, sheepishly, “I didn’t really expect this to happen.”

Legend stared at his best friend, confused, unsure how they’d gotten in this position. And Hyrule—Hyrule was so _close_. Sure, they’d shared hugs before, but this—this was laced with static energy, this was _intimate._ He squirmed underneath Hyrule, expecting the other to jump away, mortified, at any second.

But the Traveler didn’t; instead, he leaned forward, his eyes meeting Legend’s. There was a spark there, something Legend wasn’t used to, as he crawled onto Legend.

“What- What are you doing?” Legend stammered, his mind going every which way, trying to justify what Hyrule was doing. Was this a joke? Was he trying to pin Legend down for some stupid game? There was no way, _no way_ that meek, gentle Hyrule was— 

“What, you don’t like this?” Hyrule snickered, and there was _no_ mistaking that look on his face, the implications of his half-lidded eyes, his body language. Legend suddenly felt _much too warm_ —Hyrule looked good, _fantastic_ even, over him—but _no_ , _wait_ , _Legend._ He tore his thoughts away from the things he was imagining with the other Hero.

This wasn’t right. Hyrule didn’t act like this—with _anyone_ , _ever._ He didn’t hit on people at towns with Legend and Warriors, he blushed when they so much as _mentioned_ unsavory desires. And even then, this— _this_ was much too forward, much too _pushy_ for Hyrule. He wasn’t acting like himself.

“Hyrule, something’s wrong,” Legend choked out, looking his friend over. “You-You must’ve taken a weird potion— or- or had some spell cast on you—”

“I feel fine,” Hyrule interrupted; he grinned lazily, and something about it was so distinctly _not_ Hyrule. It was too sneaky, too mischievous. Legend reddened as Hyrule shifted over him, resting his weight on Legend; their hips met, and Legend scrunched his eyes closed at the sudden, blossoming pleasure, his head falling to the dirt behind him. _Oh my Goddess_ , he thought dizzily, fervent desire clawing in his chest. Since when could Hyrule move like that?!

“Mmm,” Hyrule sighed softly. When Legend dared to open his eyes, he saw that his friend was also flushing, looking pleased at the way he’d trapped Legend between his legs. Legend gaped, remembering that it was _Hyrule_ he was having this reaction to, his friend and _reincarnation_ , and the embarrassment rose to absolutely unbearable levels. _Okay, that’s it_.

“Get off, ‘Rule,” he wheezed weakly. With all the strength he had left, he propped himself up on one elbow and pushed at Hyrule’s chest. The Traveler didn’t budge, giving Legend a disapproving pout.

“What, Leg, you don’t want to have a little fun?” He shifted his hips again, causing Legend to gasp and fall back down. He couldn’t _like_ this, he had reasons not to like this—an image of purple curls and oversized sleeves flashed through his head— 

“ _Shit—_ I have a boyfriend!” Legend confessed in a desperate rush. And yet, Hyrule didn’t give in, just flashed him that cocky grin again.

“Do you? I never would’ve thought,” Hyrule chuckled. His hand reached over Legend, lingering a hair’s width above him, not hesitating, but simply drawing the moment out. “What a lucky guy. You should introduce me—he can thank me, for taking care of you while you’re away from him. For making sure you get what you need...”

And something about that, something about that phrasing was so _hot_ , or maybe it was just because of anyone, _Hyrule_ was saying it, and Legend’s mind swirled as the tip of Hyrule’s finger landed on his throat, dragged down his sternum, Hyrule licking his lips—and, what was wrong with this again? What had Legend just said? _Did_ he have a boyfriend, Legend wondered distantly.

His worry and confusion were fading fast, replaced by Hyrule looking at him with hooded eyes, his soft curls falling over them, breathing deeply as he hovered over Legend.

“What’s that thing you've called me?” Hyrule murmured, his fingers tracing over Legend’s tunic, maddeningly slow. Legend’s mouth worked opened and closed, wanting to answer, but his empty mind could barely make sense of the question. “...‘Rulie’?”

Hyrule tilted his head to the side, an innocent action that by no means matched the sultry look on his face. Legend swallowed thickly. He had no right to be so enticingly adorable, so ruthlessly _teasing._ He resisted the urge to do something, _anything_ , to further their contact—his fingers clutched the grass beneath them, straining with the effort to hold back. Why was he holding back again? _Hyrule is your_ friend _,_ Legend pressed to himself. Hyrule would never act like this, yet… 

“Could you call me that, Legend?” Hyrule asked lowly, his hand slipping lower, to Legend’s abdomen. “Could you call me ‘Rulie’?” He paused for a moment, both his hand and his words stilling, looking Legend up and down slowly, indulgently, his eyes betraying the heavy lust that filled him. “... Could _I_ call you, maybe… Link?” 

_Sweet Hylia above._ The whisper, so full of sex, had Legend shivering. Before he could think, Hyrule leaned forward, his lips mere inches from Legend’s—

Legend shot up in his bedroll.

It took him a good minute to figure out exactly what was going on, where he was. He breathed hard, much too hot under the thick cloth; he itched to throw it off, but some kind of instinct told him to be patient.

A bit too slowly, he realized he was staring at the glowing embers of last night’s campfire. He blinked several times, tearing his eyes away, trying to focus on his surroundings. Thankfully, the moon was bright overhead.

All of his companions were asleep around him; just to his left, Wind was snoring, blissfully unaware of Legend’s momentary panic. Movement from across the camp caught his eye: Wild, on watch, waving at him from a tree limb to get his attention.

Blushing, his mind still flashing through lewd images of Hyrule, Legend stared at Wild owlishly.

“ _Nightmare?”_ the Champion signed to his friend sympathetically. It took a moment for Legend to understand what Wild was implying.

“ _No,”_ Legend signed back frantically, horrified that Wild might be able to tell what had just happened. “ _Yes!_ ” he changed his answer mid-sign, and repeated it again, realizing this was his best alibi.

“ _Are you—”_

“ _I don’t want to talk about it!_ ” Legend signed as snappily as he could, and before Wild could respond, he slumped back down onto his bedroll, pulling the covers up over his head.

His heart thumped in his chest, praying to Hylia that Wild wouldn’t ask any more questions. After a few moments of silence, he realized that the Champion wasn’t going to pester him any further, and had gone back to guarding them.

His panic fading, he turned his mind to another pressing worry: _what the hell was that dream?!_ He shivered as he scrolled through what he could remember—Hyrule on top of him, saying dirty things that Legend could never imagine coming out of his friend’s mouth. _What the fuck?!_

Part of him, the part still lingering in that reality, thought it was the best wet dream he’d ever had—but a much _larger_ part of him was thoroughly disgusted with himself. How could he think of _Hyrule_ like that, who trusted him with his feelings, and was so careful about romance? A second pang hit him as he remembered another detail of the dream. _Ravio_. The guilt doubled, _tripled_. Oh, Goddesses, how could he dream about someone else when he’d promised himself to the Lorulean?!

 _This is so wrong_. He berated himself harshly over that, over every detail he could remember. He would block this out of his mind and never think of it again. It was the best he could do.

An hour later, he had fallen back into a fitful, dreamless sleep.

***

Days had gone by since Legend’s dream.

He’d almost forgotten about it; life just went on as usual, as they set up camp, took it down again, fought monsters, tried to figure out their whereabouts. At some point, Four perked up and mentioned that this had to be his Hyrule—but they were far from any shelter or civilization. They all groaned at that, and began heading towards a town that was a three days’ journey away.

Things were normal, but every once in a while, Legend remembered the dream. Warriors would make a crude joke, or Sky would reminisce about his Zelda, or Hyrule would tilt his head just the right way, and an image of his dream would flash through his mind, quick as lightning. It would leave him stammering and looking like a fool in front of the others; he’d be quick, then, to get away, volunteering to find firewood or scout ahead. His companions may have started to take notice, he worried, when Warriors grinned at him slyly.

“Who are you thinking of back home that gets you so riled up, huh?” Warriors teased him as the others argued over a fork in the road.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Legend snapped back, much too on edge to think of something clever, and quickly strode away to help puzzle out the right direction.

The night before they were to reach their destination, they sat around the campfire, Wild handing out bowls of chicken curry. It smelled like heaven, and Legend grabbed his bowl eagerly, no other thought on his mind.

“Go on, little one, off to bed,” Time ordered their youngest companion, a no-nonsense look on his face. Wind’s hands curled into fists, his expression twisting.

“It’s fine! I’m fine, see?” He lifted his arms up, and immediately swayed on his feet. Sky shot up from his seat to catch the boy, trying not to agitate the wound on the small sailor’s torso.

“Ow—”

“Time’s right, Wind,” Sky agreed, a bit too fussily for Legend’s taste. “You need to rest. Trust me, if I was the one hurt, I’d already be snoring.”

“You’d be snoring even if you were in perfect health,” Legend teased through his mouthful of chicken. A few of them snickered, but Wind huffed and let Sky lead him away. Truth be told, it was a bad wound: one of Twilight’s Deku Babas, infected, had taken a nasty bite out of him, and even with their last few sips of potion, Wind had lost a lot of blood.

It had been a scary moment. Legend himself kept a fairy on him at all times in case of emergencies, and for a second he thought he’d have to use it. Wind had refused any more help, however, once the wound had been bandaged. _We’ll just have to stock up tomorrow_ , Legend assuaged himself, hoping there would be no more injuries before they reached Blue Maiden.

Warriors kicked up his feet, looking like a Bokoblin who’d stolen a large, juicy steak. “Well, the kids are asleep, so the adults can play,” he joked earnestly. Four groaned, Wild making a face alongside him. 

“Can you think about anything _other_ than the kinds of things you can’t say around a child?” Wild scoffed in annoyance. Four nodded, his mouth full, looking thoroughly exhausted.

Legend glanced around the campfire, noting that Time was quiet, maybe lost in thought. The others, however, looked more amused than anything.

“Sorry, cub, you know Warriors has a one-track mind,” Twilight joked to his apprentice, done with his meal, leaning back on his elbows.

“I do not!” Warriors huffed, waving Twilight’s teasing away. “Besides, Twi, you still haven’t told us about your dear Ilia yet.”

Twilight winced like—well, like a startled dog, Legend thought with amusement, remembering his friend’s secret. Twilight certainly looked like he should have his tail between his legs.

“Ilia is just my friend,” their ranch hand insisted, and if Legend had to gamble on it, he’d say Twilight had a guilty conscience.

“You _do_ talk about her a lot,” Hyrule mused, staring thoughtfully at a spoonful of curry. He was sitting against the rock Legend was on, a foot or so down to his right. 

Legend blanched suddenly as he remembered the mantra he’d been repeating to himself since his dream, the one that Twilight had just uttered: “just my friend.” _Don’t think about it_ , he commanded himself immediately, forcing himself to stop looking at Hyrule (innocently picking at his meal) and to pay attention to the conversation instead.

“Talk about who a lot?” Sky questioned, coming back over from where their bedrolls lay. He picked his way back over to the fire, warming his hands.

“Ilia,” both Legend and Hyrule answered—though Legend may have sprung on the easy question a bit too eagerly.

Sky’s eyes lit up, and he turned to Twilight joyfully. “Oh! Tell us all about her! I’ve been dying to hear about the girl who managed to woo you.” He gave the very disgruntled ranch hand a shove.

“One, what is that supposed to mean,” Twilight groused with a roll of his eyes. “Two, she is my _best friend_. Despite what Warriors wants to hear, I care a lot about her because we grew up together, and we’ve been through a lot, honestly. She’s not my girlfriend or anything.”

Usually, Legend would argue for the sake of teasing Twilight. But even he had to admit, he'd assumed wrongly. Despite the blush on Twilight’s cheeks, his tone and body language were all wrong. No, if Legend had to guess, there was someone else besides Ilia— _who_ , he had no idea, but this was a dead end, and therefore not a source of amusement. 

That didn’t mean the others couldn’t be interesting, though.

“Zelda and I are best friends!” Sky pressed excitedly, “You should take that step. You two already know and care so much about each other!” Legend had to crack a smile; Sky was such a hopeless romantic.

But Twilight was shaking his head no, grimacing. “I really don’t think so.”

“Lay off him, Sky,” Four said suddenly, pointing his spoon at Sky with a hint of accusation. “Your head’s too up in the clouds.” The spoon swiveled towards Twilight. “ _Obviously_ Twilight prefers men.”

Legend choked on his curry. Around him, the others had similar reactions, startled at Four’s bold claim: Wild bolted up from his sleepy position, and Time blinked as if paying attention for the first time. Twilight himself looked scandalized.

“What?!” He gaped at Four. “Why would you think that?!”

With difficulty, Legend swallowed his bite of curry, a grin spreading across his face. “Twilight, why didn’t you tell us? We’re so proud of you.” He couldn’t help pressing the rancher’s buttons just a _little_.

The poor ranch hand was shaking his head harder than ever, hands up as if trying to push them all away. “No, no, don’t be making assumptions about me like that! I’m just—not interested in anyone right now, and I _certainly_ prefer women.”

“Ah, well,” Four sighed, putting his Spoon of Judgement down. “I was hoping that would startle you into spilling some kind of secret.”

Legend chuckled, but beside him, Hyrule seemed upset. “Four, you really shouldn’t be outing people like that,” he chastised worriedly. “Even if it’s just a joke.”

Four rolled his eyes. “Don’t take it too seriously, Hyrule, it’s not like we would judge,” he said, though Legend thought he looked just slightly embarrassed. “But truly,” and Legend was sure Four was purposely changing the subject, “we’re not all such idealists as you, Sky.”

The Chosen Hero shrugged. “I can hope for the best for you all, can’t I?” he explained, smiling softly down at his feet. “Someone who cares for you above all else, someone _you_ care about like that, to come home to, no matter what…”

Something stirred in Legend’s heart, and he looked down at his almost-empty plate. Homesickness didn’t come to him easily, but… last time he’d visited home, Ravio had been painfully distant from him, and they hadn’t gotten any time alone. The truth was, Lorule had some strange laws and prejudices that Ravio hadn’t quite gotten over, despite living in Legend’s Hyrule now. When he’d confessed his feelings to Legend, he’d been fully prepared for Legend to be disgusted and angry with him—and when Legend had reciprocated, he’d begged to keep their relationship a secret to everyone.

Of course he did what made Ravio comfortable, and it wasn’t as if Legend himself liked people to know his private business, but it had been hard to see his love so close, and do nothing. And now, he had to wait again, and hope he could stay home longer the next time.

His reveries were interrupted—hopefully not symbolically—by Hyrule.

“I don’t think I could do that,” Hyrule mumbled thoughtfully, and then all at once seemed to realize that he’d spoken aloud, cringing. All of them shifted uncomfortably; Legend gave his friend a concerned, startled look, surprised to hear him be so openly dismal. “I mean—”

“Of course you could,” Time said smoothly, before anyone else could speak. He stretched his arms, his face nonplussed, as if this was the easiest worry to dismiss in the world (though Legend thought he saw a hint of concern in the way Time’s eye narrowed). “If a rough old man like me can find a wife, certainly you all can,” he joked warmly.

The group laughed, and Twilight teased, “It’s still a mystery,” causing them to all giggle a bit more. Meanwhile, Legend carefully lowered himself down next to Hyrule, pushing his food aside. Sure, the ribbing was funny, but there were more important things to address.

“You don’t really believe that, do you?” he whispered to Hyrule under the cover of the others’ laughter, wanting to be sure his friend was alright. Hyrule looked even more mortified.

“That’s not what I meant,” Hyrule squeaked, a bit louder than either of them were expecting, enough to catch the group’s attention again. Their eyes once again on him, he scrambled to explain.

“Ah—” Hyrule stole a glance at Legend, who wasn’t sure what he was supposed to do to help. At entirely the worst possible time, another image of Hyrule from his dream hit him again, and he bit his lip, thankful that Hyrule had looked away from him. “I mean— I just—I don’t want to settle down like that,” Hyrule admitted breathlessly, scratching his back. “Not that there’s anything wrong with it!” he added quickly, his eyes going from Sky to Time, “Definitely not! I just think— ah—well—I don’t want to get married.”

The last sentence was forced out, the tone becoming a bit hard, and he looked away from them all. Legend was reeling from the secondhand-embarrassment: his poor friend was obviously panicking, admitting something he didn’t want to in front of all of their traveling companions. A beat passed, and he couldn’t resist the need to speak.

“Well, there’s nothing wrong with that—”

“You don’t?” Sky exclaimed, looking horrified. “You mean, never?” Legend gave the Skyloftian a dirty look, but he didn’t seem to notice.

“Now, hold on,” Four began, but Hyrule cut him off.

“No. I…” Legend’s friend drew himself up, as if surrendering himself to his fate. “I don’t want to marry, ever. It sounds…” He looked to the side again, then sighed heavily. “Honestly? It sounds _extremely_ boring.”

Legend couldn’t help himself: he snorted hard, entirely caught off guard. Hyrule jumped beside him.

“Oh, thank Hylia I stopped eating!” Legend managed between laughs, and he imagined it must be infectious, because the others were laughing, too. He shoved Hyrule’s shoulder playfully, to tell him he was laughing _with_ him, not at him. “I would’ve choked, you would’ve killed me!”

“W- What?”

“That!” Legend snorted again, and covered his face. “That is the single most mundane reason for not wanting to be tied down I’ve ever heard!” He gave Hyrule a glance through his fingers, his cheeks hurting from the smiling. “How do you manage to be so—so _inoffensively_ extreme?”

Hyrule looked torn between being insulted and complimented. “‘Inoffensively extreme’? What—”

“You’re adorable, kid,” Warrior reached over, struggling a bit with the distance, to ruffle Hyrule’s hair.

“Now don’t call me ‘kid,’ I’m only a year younger than you,” he scorned the knight, but thankfully seemed a bit more comfortable.

Time finally managed to calm his own booming laugh. “I can’t blame you for thinking that,” he chuckled, wiping tears away. “I’ve got to say, before I met Malon, I thought the same thing—but I never would have stated it so _bluntly_.”

“Malon seems like the opposite of boring,” Wild said with a smirk.

“She can be downright terrifying,” Time admitted, leaning back. “I love it.”

And they all laughed again, the embarrassment forgotten.

***

Well, mostly forgotten.

Later that night, they all lay down to sleep, making themselves comfortable on the grassy ground. Time bade them good night, shuffling off to take the first watch, and warning them to get proper rest. Their voices were hushed, conscious of Wind snoring loudly in the middle of them all, but still they talked and joked together in pairs, whispering as they made their beds.

Legend was ready to fall asleep without speaking to anyone, but then he noticed, out of the corner of his eye, someone dragging their bedroll over. He turned over as Hyrule sat down beside him, pleased to see his friend.

“Hey,” Legend greeted with a sleepy smile.

Hyrule looked anything but sleepy, shifting nervously. The smile dropped from Legend’s face.

“What did you mean before?” Hyrule muttered quietly, looking upset. “When you called me inoffensively extreme?”

Legend propped himself up, surprised that Hyrule was still thinking about that comment. “That bothered you?” he asked, suddenly ashamed.

“I just want to know what you meant,” Hyrule said bashfully, lowering his head, so that his eyes were covered by his bangs.

Legend paused for a moment, trying to remember what had been going through his head. “You,” he began, his voice flat, “would attack a child, and only later would we find out he was a demon in disguise.” Hyrule looked horrified at that, and opened his mouth to protest, but Legend continued. “You would state that you hate Gerudo desert with a fiery passion, and instead of some insane prejudice, you’d explain that the little lizards out there have stolen food out of your pack.”

“I don’t hate—”

“That’s not the point, ‘Rule,” Legend huffed, laying back down. “I swear, every time I think you’re about to imply something horrible, you come out saying something revoltingly innocent instead…” He smiled again at his friend. “It gives me cavities.”

He beamed even wider when Hyrule looked _more_ insulted. Hyrule lay down beside Legend with a groan.

“You all think I’m some flustered goody-two-shoes,” he grumbled into his pillow, eyeing Legend irately.

“Eh, well, stop acting like one,” Legend snickered, giving him a one-shouldered shrug. Hyrule rolled his eyes. They fell silent for the moment, the rest of the camp quieting around them. Soon, the crickets and the wind had taken over the whispers.

Abruptly, Hyrule shifted closer, making Legend’s eyes open again. He looked away from Legend, around at the camp, and then whispered to him, as quietly as possible: “Do you want to know the real reason why I don’t want to marry?”

Legend slowly rose up again, his eyebrows raising. He’d never seen Hyrule acting so shiftily: the traveler was glancing to the side a lot, hunched in like a guilty child, lips pressed tightly together like he was trying not to smile.

“What d’you mean, the _real_ reason?” Legend asked conspiratorially, his curiosity peaked. Hyrule looked around again, making sure no one nearby was awake.

“It’s because…” Hyrule admitted quietly, trying to hide his nervous smile with one hand, “I hate the idea of… not being able to sleep with whoever I want, whenever.”

Legend thought for a moment he’d heard wrong. Then, as he processed it, he hissed, maybe a bit too loudly, “You _what?!_ ”

“ _Shhhh_!” Hyrule shoved him.

“Okay, okay!” He lowered his voice, sitting up so he could speak closer to Hyrule and prevent them from waking the others. “There is _no way_ I heard you right,” he scoffed, unable to believe his ears.

“Surprised?” Hyrule huffed smugly.

“I can’t believe—” Legend shook his head, wondering whether or not he was blushing. “What, are you saying you sleep around? Because I don’t think—”

“Yes,” Hyrule muttered crossly, “That’s _exactly_ what I’m saying.”

Their eyes met.

Then Legend began to giggle, covering his mouth, trying to be as silent as possible. He shook his head at Hyrule’s annoyed grunt.

“There’s no way. There’s no way!” he managed to say between laughs. Hyrule, however, didn’t look like he was backing down.

“Do you know, no one in my Hyrule recognizes me,” he explained to Legend, much more seriously than he expected; his laughter faltered. “People are so few and far between, they have no idea who I am when I show up at a tavern, or an inn. They _certainly_ don’t know I’m the hero.” Legend fell silent, listening intently.

“So they don’t have any expectations, and to be honest, if you’re not already married, finding partners is a bit of a hassle… So, it’s become a bit of an unspoken truth—” Hyrule looked up self-consciously. “People will agree to a night with a traveling stranger, no questions asked, as long as you don’t speak of it until after you’ve parted ways.”

Legend stared at Hyrule, repeating his confession in his head once, twice, three times. The dream he’d had the other night flocked into his head again, and he furiously bashed it away.

“ _I thought you were a virgin!_ ” Legend hissed, feeling betrayed. His timid, naive friend was this _promiscuous_?! Without _telling_ him?!

“I never said I was!” Hyrule shot back, suddenly looking like he might regret divulging his secret.

“It wasn’t what you _said_ , it was how you _acted!_ ” (He did _not_ want to picture Hyrule kneeling over him right now, thank you.) “You blush at Warrior’s jokes and you don’t hit on the girls at the bars and you always seem so—so above it all! And all this time you’ve been hiding this from me?”

“I wasn’t hiding it from _you_!” Hyrule whispered back, offended. “I was hiding it from everyone! Could you imagine how much they’d judge me, if they found out I was as bad as Warriors— _doubly_ as bad, even.”

“How on Hylia’s earth could you be _doubly_ bad?”

“Because I sleep with the men, too!” Hyrule hissed, and he clamped his mouth shut, horrified with his own proclamation.

Dazed, Legend turned away from his friend and raked his fingers through his hair, his mind whirling with activity. All the images from his dream—the one that he’d tried so hard to forget, the one he _had_ _nearly forgotten_ —crashed into his brain all at once, making him curse silently, intensely. So what? That Hyrule he’d imagined, that person _existed_? And was laying right beside him? Promiscuous and sexy and happy to lay with a man like himself?

No, no, he couldn’t think like that—obviously Hyrule only thought of him as a friend. He wasn’t looking to _sleep_ with Legend, he just wanted to be treated with some kind of respect, and not like a child. And Legend didn’t want to sleep with Hyrule either! He was just his friend, and he had a wonderful partner at home!

But Goddesses, why was he so fixated on this?!

“Leg?” Hyrule muttered hesitantly, and Legend froze. What did he look like, turning away from his friend, going silent, when Hyrule admitted he was attracted to men? _Like a huge asshole_ , Legend thought guiltily, cringing at how Ravio would react to being treated that way.

“... Me too,” he admitted softly, thinking this would be the best way to quell Hyrule’s fears.

“What?”

“Me too,” Legend sighed, turning his head back. “Men and women… I’ve slept with both.”

It took a moment for Hyrule to respond. “... Oh.”

“Not anymore, though,” Legend amended quickly, quietly. “I mean, when I was younger—your age, I guess—I sort of…” He made a noncommittal gesture with his hand, too shy to state it outright. “But that was short-lived. I wanted a real relationship.” He fell silent, and then, for clarity’s sake, added, “Gender didn’t matter. Whichever was fine.”

“Oh.” They stared away from each other awkwardly, unsure where to go next with this conversation. “... Did you find one?”

Legend thought for a moment, wondering how much he wanted to share. Certainly not _that_ much. He had a reputation to uphold, after all, he couldn’t be _too_ sappy—he wasn’t _Sky_. (And his decision was certainly not influenced at all by dream-Hyrule’s reaction to learning he had a boyfriend).

“...Yes,” he confessed, and smiled despite himself, picturing a humming merchant bustling around his home, emerald-green eyes lighting up at the sight of him. Hyrule caught his fond look, and smiled back.

“I’m happy for you.”

“... Thank you.”

“... You should tell me what they’re like.”

Legend gave him a pained look, definitely not about to indulge that information. “Some other time.”

“Ah, c’mon—”

“If we don’t sleep, Time is going to kill us,” Legend insisted, and Hyrule fell silent.

“... Alright,” he sighed. “But you’re not getting away with this!”

“I’ll get away with whatever I want,” Legend drawled easily. Hyrule scoffed, then was quiet. Legend waited for some kind of reluctant agreement, or even a change in subject, but then Hyrule let out a soft snore.

Legend sighed and got comfortable, staring up at the night sky. He traced patterns in the stars for a moment, wondering what the hell his life had become in the past couple days. He suddenly wasn’t sure how he felt about his best friend; that particular best friend knew about his peculiar sexuality (and he, Hyrule’s); and, to throw a wrench in the whole thing, the more he thought about it, the more he _desperately_ missed Ravio.

At least, of all of their companions, he could trust Hyrule with the soft, squishy feelings he usually pretended he didn’t have—as if he was doing a good job of hiding them lately. Still, he lived in fear of having that dream, or another one like it, again. What would he do then? Start avoiding Hyrule? Confess what he’d been dreaming? Legend shuddered in the cool night air. _Absolutely not._ But he was scared—what if, in some weak, vulnerable moment, he acted on it? What would he say to his boyfriend? Worse, what if Hyrule rejected him, and he ended up losing them both?

He steered his thoughts away, teeth clenched tightly together. He _wasn’t_ going to act on it. He _knew_ what it was like to repress attraction, for Hylia’s sake! This was _not_ that; this wasn’t what he’d gone through with Ravio, with _her_ … 

He flopped over in the bedroll, cursing the stars looking down at him. This was a dangerous train of thought that he would _not_ follow, he promised himself. Yet, _all_ his thoughts seem to lead down dangerous paths.

It was a lot to handle, and he was certain, as much as he wanted to avoid Time’s wrath, that he wouldn’t be able to sleep a wink.

He was out in just a couple minutes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Ya'll ever have those dreams about platonic friends? Me? N-No, of course not, haha, why do you ask?_
> 
> Sorry, in my personal fanon, I think Twi's the only straight one there. Or is he? Hmmm....


	2. Sweet Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ahhh thank you all for your kind words! <3 You guys said I'm... brave???? '^^ I don't get it, but thank you so much, and I hope you all like this next part!  
> I've decided to do _three_ chapters instead, since this one was running pretty long, and we haven't even gotten to the **fun** part. Enjoy!

They were woken by the world shifting around them.

Honestly, they usually all slept through it, but this transition was a particularly rough one. Legend’s eyes shot open as dizzying vertigo swam through his body; his stomach felt like there were dozens of keese in it, desperately trying to get out. Instincts firing, he tried to jump out of bed and to attention—but immediately stumbled to the right, the whole world tilting sideways.

He wasn’t the only one. Wild shot out of bed the same way Legend attempted to, holding onto a wavering tree for support. Wind groaned and rolled over, squeaking awake as he agitated his wound. Across their camp, Twilight stood where he had taken over the watch, his wide-awake eyes scouring his companions and surroundings, ready to alert them if their new location was dangerous.

All around them, the redwoods and fungi seemed to fizzle in and out of existence like something out of Wild’s Sheikah contraption. The deep moss receded, giving way to shorter, tougher grasses and dirt patches. Wild’s support tree disappeared and left him floundering; it was replaced by a younger, hardier oak. The ancient, mystical forest of Four’s world gave way to a plainer, rougher one, with large, sharp boulders and skinny oaks and puffy maples. Legend sucked in a breath.

It looked like _home_.

As the world settled back into place, the few of them who had woken stared around and at each other.

“That was fast,” Wild muttered, picking himself up off the ground. Legend gave a terse nod; they had only been in Four’s Hyrule for about a week or so, uncharacteristically short.

“You all alright?” Two quiet affirmations answered Twilight, Wind’s slightly shaky. Legend didn't answer, taking in the details; the birds in the branches, the patches of wild grass. 

“Leg?”

He took in another breath. “... This might be…” _Wishful thinking_ , he finished for himself, but instead said, “... just a hunch, but, I think this is _my_ Hyrule.”

They all stared for a moment, quiet snores filling the air. Then Twilight jerked his head away from the disheveled camp, signalling for him to follow.

“Not you,” he muttered to Wind as he passed the boy.

“ _What_ —”

“Shh! You’re injured, you need to rest.” 

Legend nodded quickly to the kid, stepping past him and into the forest. He saw Wild give Wind a sympathetic smile.

“Alright,” Twilight sighed once they were far enough away. Legend twisted one of his rings, feeling slightly anxious. That was Twilight’s ‘serious’ voice, the ‘Time is asleep so I’m taking charge voice’—and usually Legend would just roll his eyes, but he had other things on his mind.

He was… so close to home? If he recognized these woods—and he was rather certain he did—then they were just a couple hours' walk from his house. Was this some kind of gift from the Goddesses, sending him home early to see his love? Or was it some kind of divine prank, purposely putting him there so that he could mess things up with his weird _feelings_?

“Leg, Wind can’t walk too much farther,” Twilight continued, making Legend snap to attention. The ranch hand’s eyes were solemn. “ _Please_ tell me there’s somewhere nearby?”

“I can’t believe, we were so close to that village Four’s been talking about,” Wild grumbled, wiping the sleep from his eyes, still looking a little green. Legend was surprised that the champion had followed them, considering how out of it he still was. He turned back to Twilight, looking over his options.

Well, he had no choice now, did he?

“We might be close to my home,” he calmed his worried friend. “If my instincts are correct, that is. We could rest there, and I’m sure we’ll have a large stock of potions.”

Too late, he realized he’d said ‘we,’ but the others didn’t seem to pick up on it. _What am I thinking, they_ know _Ravio lives there_ , he snapped at the panic that had risen so quickly and easily. _What is wrong with you, relax!_

Twilight sighed in relief, and Wild looked up brightly, queasiness forgotten. “That’s right! Your’s is the one filled to the brim with all the equipment, right?”

“All the equipment _you can’t touch_ ,” Legend deadpanned, making Wild droop again. Honestly, Wild was the _last_ person he wanted using his artifacts; he shuddered at the thought of his favorite items in Wild’s cursed hands.

“Right, then, at least there’s a plan,” Twilight mumbled, staring down at the ground, thoughtful. “You two can, uh, head back to bed, if you want.”

It was a rather pointless suggestion—the sun was already up, they’d planned to wake up in an hour—so Legend shrugged and headed off, mumbling an excuse about scouting ahead. Wild clapped a hand on Twilight’s back and headed towards the camp, pulling out his Sheikah slate, probably to fiddle with it for a while.

Once he was out of sight, Legend loosened up. He reached a big enough clearing in the woods to judge the direction of the sun, not breaking stride as he slowly spun. That was East, then, and if he was in this particular wood, then home should be…

He broke through the edge of trees, finding himself on the crest of a hill, looking out over the plains.

“Ah…”

Yep, it was home.

He sat on the ground, staring out into the distance. Hylia, it was gorgeous in the early morning light. In the distance, he could make out Death Mountain, smoke curling slowly into the air before dissipating; above him, little birds called songs he’d listened to since he was a child.

One landed in front of him, and his heart couldn't decide whether it was hurting or soaring. He'd be seeing a sweet little bird like that soon, twittering after a certain someone as he bustled around his shop… 

Legend picked himself up after a few minutes, turning back to join the others. By the Goddesses, with everything that had been worrying him lately, at least soon he’d be able to rest.

***

The group set out on the road just a while later, rather excited to be so close to a place where they could stay. As Four pointed out, this was actually preferable to the nine of them holding up together at an inn in Blue Maiden, plus they all remembered the fantastical collection Legend had in his home. Needless to say, several of them picked up the pace, Wind included. Legend worried about the kid for a bit, but it was clear that he was healing fast, though some red potion wouldn’t hurt. Thankfully, they met neither man nor monster on their way, which was just the way Legend liked it.

Part of him realized he felt too calm: it was the kind of calm that filled him when he was about to enter the dungeon of a boss, not how he should feel when returning to his home and lover after several long months. He tried to act natural, but he knew he was being unusually quiet; Hyrule tried to get his attention, but he pretended not to see, unwilling to face his friend when Ravio was so close.

So.

 _Close_.

They rounded a hill, and there it was. 

It was a simple, unassuming home, if a little large for its isolated location—but it was _his_. Legend took a step forward, then another, his pace picking up as he approached. He smiled as he saw a new addition to the building: a sign advertising Ravio’s shop, purple and shaped like a rabbit, like the old ones he used to put up everywhere.

His heart sang in chest. He was going to see Ravio. Wind would be healed. They would all be able to rest. Everything was going to be fine. He shoved away his stress over Hyrule, turning the knob of the front door, already making plans. Besides the clutter, his home was rather sparse. He hoped there’d be enough accomodations for his friends, especially for Win—

— What the _hell_?!

The entrance to his home was stuffed to the brim with shelves. Wares of all kinds—he panicked for a second, searching for his _own_ things among the goods—were on display, behind glass and in barrels and hanging from the ceiling. Where there had been a couch now stood a counter, behind which someone was rummaging inside a box.

The person at the counter heard them enter and turned, his giant rabbit hood wobbling over his head, purple robes sweeping. “Customers! Welcome, wel—” The hooded merchant froze at the several Links in his shop.

“What have you done to my living room?” Legend said blankly, stunned.

“ _Mr. Hero!"_

Immediately, Ravio jumped out from behind the counter and hugged him.

“Oof,” Link gasped at the force of the hug; but then he was overwhelmed by the warmth of the tight squeeze, Ravio’s scent of sage and parchment and old wood, and he hugged the merchant back, breathing deeply, thinking that this is what heaven felt like—

And Ravio let go, much too quickly, clapping his hands together in excitement. “Oh, I’m so glad you’ve returned!” Ravio said excitedly, then looked over the group. “And you’ve brought your family again as well!”

Underneath the hood, they couldn’t see Ravio’s face, so Legend imagined that the others thought nothing was amiss—but Legend could recognize just the slightest strain in Ravio’s voice.

“It’s good to see you again,” Time greeted politely, looking around the shelves with a gleam in his eye. The others, too, had been immediately distracted by all the baubles, only humming half-hearted greetings of their own.

“Don’t touch anything,” Legend snapped at them all, and he saw both Sky and Four flinch back from the items they’d been perusing. Ravio cocked his head to the side, and Legend knew underneath he was rolling his eyes.

“Well, if they’re paying customers—”

Legend cut him off by clapping a hand on Ravio’s shoulder and giving him a bright smile. He itched to do more, but this would have to do for now.

“Again,” he asked as sweetly as he could, tightening his grip just a bit, “What have you done to my living room?”

“Improved it,” Ravio countered easily, tilting his head back so it looked like the mask’s eyes were gleaming. “Wouldn’t you say? Now all my wares can be displayed properly!”

“And where is _my_ stuff?”

“Perfectly fine,” Ravio answered smoothly, “And those are ten rupees each, unless you’d like to see the bomb arrows?”

Legend turned to see Hyrule holding one excellently crafted arrow, his mouth open in surprise.

“Ten _each_ —?!”

“Bomb arrows?” Wild perked up again from somewhere behind the others.

Legend shook his head and stepped between Ravio and his companions, blocking the merchant from his customers. “Ravi, do you have any red potion?” he asked, deciding to get down to business.

“Of course!” The merchant drew himself up, whisking Legend away to a shelf full of bottles, all glinting like rubies. “The smaller ones are fifty rupees, but the better deal would be—”

“I meant do _I_ have red potion?” Legend growled, and Ravio paused at his bitter tone. “The kid’s injured,” he explained quietly, nodding his head to the back of the group.

They caught sight of the sailor marveling at some of the rings on display, his eyes shining with wonder, but his hand clutching his side. Despite their best efforts, he was bleeding through the bandages again.

“Oh.” Ravio didn’t say anything for a moment, and Legend knew that, even with his kind heart, it was against the merchant’s instincts to give anything away for free. Then, “Yours are in the basement, but how about you just pay me back for this one later, eh?” He plucked a medium-sized bottle off the shelf, holding it daintily in one hand.

“Thanks, Ravi.” The merchant lifted his hood—just a bit, so only Legend could see him—and winked, turning towards Wind.

“Hello there, friend! Why don’t you take this, and I’ll tell you all about these rings here! Did you know the opals were mined in the deepest depths of Death Mountain? They have all sorts of interesting properties, and the _craftsmanship_ …”

Legend watched them silently, arms crossed, smiling to himself as Wind grinned weakly and took a few sips of potion. The sailor would be healed before lunch.

“Well, he’s certainly made himself at home.” Time stood beside him, leaning casually on the counter, his eyes on the various weapons hung along the wall.

“Yeah, he has,” Legend sighed, finally feeling himself relax. Now all he needed was one quiet moment with Ravio, and he would be golden.

“I would be concerned with whether some of your collection has gone missing,” Time huffed amusedly, taking one of the more elegant swords off its hook.

“Nah,” Legend waved him away, “Ravio’s practically lived here for years already, and trust me, he wouldn’t dare.” They both chuckled.

The merchant in question turned around, catching Legend’s eye; Legend signalled for him to come over. “Make sure none of the others break anything, alright? We’re going to set things up for you all to stay,” he explained to the eldest hero as Ravio reached his side.

“Of course we won’t,” Time promised humbly, aiming his words at the merchant, making Legend scoff.

“Not for _his_ sake, just so you aren’t forced to buy his overpriced ‘merchandise’.”

“Overpriced!” Ravio shook his head. “You hurt me, Mr. Hero! They’re priced at what they’re worth—they’re valuable treasures!” Legend took Ravio by the arm and led him away, towards the hall.

“That sword’s three thousand,” Legend called over his shoulder, and Time blanched, carefully placing it back.

The door shut behind them; it instantly blocked out the chatter of the others, and Legend took a deep breath. The hall, and the view into the kitchen, were just as he remembered them, simple and neat, with large cabinets hiding piles of junk. It was a relief, he realized, to have the quiet, to be away from prying eyes, to not be so crowded with things.

Ravio turned to him, fiddling with one of his hood’s ears. “It’s good to have you home, Link,” he said softly, a little shyly. Legend smiled and stepped away from the door. It had been a long time since anyone had called him by his name, and it sounded wonderful coming from Ravio.

“It’s good to _be_ home.” He took Ravio tentatively, loosely, in his arms. “Take off your hood?” he pleaded earnestly, and Ravio complied, pushing it back, letting his purple curls fall around his face, his green eyes shining, his mouth beaming.

Legend mirrored the grin, and leaned down to kiss the merchant. Their lips met, Ravio’s soft and tasting like honeyed tea. He hummed happily, reaching up around Legend’s shoulders; Legend tightened his hold on Ravio’s waist, pulling him closer.

Like the hug, much too soon, it was over. Ravio pulled away, but Legend held fast, unwilling to let go so soon. With a small laugh, Ravio complied, burying his face into Legend’s shoulder.

“I’ve missed you so much,” Ravio whispered into Legend’s tunic, and Legend felt his heart shatter and meld together again, feeling guilty and lucky and in love and frustrated all at once. 

“I’ve missed you too.” He traced circles into Ravio’s back. “… I wish I could’ve been back sooner.”

“I understand.” Ravio looked up at him again, a twinkle in his eye. “Mr. Hero has to go out on his adventures, doesn’t he?”

Legend pursed his lips. “I suppose I do.”

There was a beat of silence between them, and then Ravio sighed.

“Did you have to bring the others? They _are_ your family, right? They look an awful lot like you.”

Legend grimaced. “Sort of—well, no, not really. It’s complicated. I’ll explain later.”

“Everything’s complicated with you,” Ravio snorted, and pushed him away. “C’mon, we’ve got beds to set up,” he said with a sly grin.

The mischievous smile made Legend pause. It brought back a memory that he had hoped would have disappeared by now, of his best friend kneeling over him with a similar smile on his face.

“What? What’s wrong?” Ravio’s smile fell away, and Legend cursed himself for making his love’s joy disappear.

“... I had this dream,” he began, and immediately saw Ravio’s look of panic at the sound of the familiar story. “Not like that!” Legend insisted, pushing Ravio’s worried hands down. “Definitely not like that.”

“Are you sure? It’s alright if—I understand if you’re—”

“Ravi, Ravi,” Legend calmed, running his hands up and down Ravio’s arms. “I’m fine, you scaredy rabbit.”

“Psh, bold of you to call me scared.” Legend smiled fondly at the nervous way Ravio bit his lip, how his shoulders hiked up, in sharp contrast to his words.

“Adorable little Rabbit,” Legend hummed before he could help himself, and leaned in to kiss Ravio again.

He paused an inch away, then stepped back again. His heart panged in his chest when he saw the hurt in Ravio’s eyes. This wasn’t fair; he couldn’t just pretend everything was fine when he’d dreamed of _Hyrule_ , his best friend, in such a vulgar way. It felt _wrong_.

Legend reprimanded himself. He was the Hero of _Courage_ , Goddesses damn it. But at the sight of Ravio’s face, at the thought of losing him because of his own selfish desires, he felt like something small and dirty and weak. He didn’t deserve Ravio in the first place, and now the merchant would know it.

“You can tell me,” Ravio pressed gently, and Legend looked down at their feet. Adorably, Ravio was wearing rabbit slippers.

“I’m so sorry,” he croaked, the guilt making his voice break, “I had this dream, and… and it was with someone else. Someone I _know_ , doing things we shouldn’t have done. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be thinking of _anyone_ that way—I’ve only ever wanted _you_ , but for some reason—ah, damn it all, I can’t get it out of my head, and… and…?” 

Ravio was laughing. Legend’s voice trailed away, dumbfounded. What?

Still giggling, Ravio stepped forward, resting his head against Legend’s chest. “Oh, Lolia,” he chortled against Legend, “Is that what’s got you all dejected?”

“What?” Legend stared, his brain not quite working. “I— I dreamed of someone _else_ , and it wasn’t you, and I—”

“ _Really_ , Link!” Ravio exclaimed with a smirk, “It was a _dream_! You can’t help a dream! Unless,” his eyebrows raised, like a challenge, “there was more than a dream?”

“No!” Legend yelped, horrified that Ravio would think he would do anything of that sort. “Goddesses, no! Of course not!”

“Good!” Ravio pecked him on the cheek and shoved him away, as if this was supposed to teach him a lesson; it took Legend’s breath away with affection. “Now c’mon, beds to be made, and now I’ve got to prepare, what, a dozen more lunches? Too much to do, who’s going to keep an eye on the shop? C’mon!”

“... Right.” Legend stared after Ravio in a daze, then shook his head, jogging it back to working order. “Right, right. Jeez.” Ravio snorted again, leading him away by the hand.

Ravio took the news that there were nine Links in his house pretty well.

He had shot up straight in shock, his mouth opened in a little ‘o,’ as Sheerow fluttered around his head.

“They’re all _you?!_ ” he exclaimed, his voice raising several octaves.

“Well, they’re not all _me_ , I mean, we’re all pretty different—”

“But they’re all Heroes of Courage? Chosen by the goddess Hylia? With the _same soul_?!” Ravio was staring at him in awe, and Legend fidgeted with the sheets he was carrying, blushing.

“I mean, I think? I think we might be… reincarnations of one another?” He looked up at Ravio and startled.

Ravio was much, _much_ redder than he was, tugging at the collar of his robes like it was suffocating him. Sheerow twittered amusedly around him. “Oh my Goddesses,” he mumbled, tugging his hood back on despite the fact that they were alone.

“Rav? I know it’s a lot to take in, but—”

“No _wonder_ they’re all so hot!"

That certainly brought Legend up short. It took him a moment to process Ravio’s words, but then a spike of annoyance shot through him. “Hey, now—!”

“You can’t be jealous!” Ravio cut him off when he heard Legend’s tone. “They’re all _you_! Of _course_ I’m going to like them!” Ravio huffed, turning back to their preparations, waving his presumably-laughing bird away. “Besides, I wasn’t jealous of whoever was in _your_ dream!”

Ah. He got him there. “Well!” Legend harrumphed, unable to think of a comeback.

“Don’t be so grouchy,” Ravio tsked, poking him in the side and making him squeak. “I guess it’s a little fair, though. At least you and _your_ sweet object of affection aren’t sleeping in the same house!” It was meant to be an admittance of defeat, a card in Legend’s favor—Legend knew that, but his face wouldn’t obey him, and he flushed furiously, his mouth screwed up at the injustice of it all.

Ravio’s jaw dropped as Legend’s silence grew longer. “... It’s one of _them_?!” he gasped in delighted horror.

“Ravio—”

“But they’re _you_!”

“Ravi, _please_.”

“You self-absorbed bastard!” Ravio cackled uncontrollably, and now the damned bird was flying around _Legend_ , chirping at _his_ embarrassment instead. He pressed a hand against his face and groaned.

“ _I’m_ self-absorbed, I’m not the one who fell in love with a mirror-world’s version of myself!”

“But we’re nothing alike!” Ravio scorned, as if this was the simplest issue in the world. “We’re only both servants of the Princess! Besides, you fell in love with me back!” He looked Legend up and down, making a face. “Maybe it’s _you_. Maybe you’re just a pervert.”

“Oh, now you’re just insulting me.”

“You’re the one who insists on being so _problematic_. ‘Oh, woe is me, I have wet dreams about _myself_ ,” Ravio mocked, a smile in his voice.

That was enough. Legend growled, pushing Ravio up against the wall and shoving his hood away; Ravio’s smile changed, becoming more flustered, as Legend got close.

“Are you just going to make fun of me all day?” Legend hummed lowly, quirking up an eyebrow. He traced his thumb over the line of Ravio’s jaw, making the merchant’s breath catch. “Or are you going to give me something new to dream about?”

Ravio let out a little sound of pleasure as Legend pressed closer to him. “Link,” he whispered shakily, and Legend groaned in response, pressing his lips to Ravio’s neck.

There was the sound of footsteps coming up the stairs, and they sprang apart. A quick knock, and the door to the attic opened.

“Leg?” Wild poked his head into the room, looking around at the furniture pushed up against the walls curiously. “Sky won’t stop complaining about how hungry he is. Do you mind if I use your kitchen?”

Legend schooled his face before turning around, cursing himself, Wild, Ravio, Sheerow, anything and everyone that had gotten him to this point in his life. “Yeah, sure. We’re almost done here, then I can come help.” He waved a hand stiffly around at the makeshift beds they’d set up in the open space—not quite as comfortable as real mattresses, but at least it was better than bedrolls, and a couple of them could sleep on the couches.

“Absolutely not, Link can’t cook for his life,” Ravio argued; he’d put his hood back on quick as a flash when he’d heard Wild coming up the steps. “I’ll help you—Wild, is it? Or is this one Wind?” He glanced at Legend.

“Uh, no, I’m Wild. Wind’s the sailor,” Wild corrected sheepishly, pointing down the steps. “Uh, you know, the kid.”

“Of course!” Ravio shoved the remaining sheets into Legend’s hands and followed after Wild. “You all have such interesting names. Is it some kind of family tradition?”

“Um—” Legend figured he should say something, but then Ravio turned and lifted his hood to wink at him again, so he shrugged, resigning the others to their fate.

“Well, uh, that is—” Wild stammered.

“You can tell me all about it downstairs! I’m thinking pumpkin soup, I bought a couple too many pumpkins the other day, and we’re definitely going to need a lot of stock for all of you…”

His voice faded away, and Legend sighed. _Soon enough_ , he promised himself grimly, and got to work finishing up his friends’ living quarters.

Lunch was, as usual, delicious.

Ravio always cooked well, but in combination with Wild, they turned what was supposed to be some sandwiches into an absolute feast. Legend smiled proudly at his friends enjoying themselves, preferring to sit back and watch the commotion rather than partake in it for once. He imagined this was what Time often felt like: a responsibility for taking care of their group, and a deep sense of satisfaction when everyone was fed and happy.

He stepped up to clean the dishes with Ravio once they’d all finished. Both Sky and Twilight had insisted that they should take the job instead, but Legend kicked them out of the kitchen, desperate to spend more time alone with his love.

They chuckled, hands deep in the sink, as Wild and Wind began to roughhouse, bickering and playful; they could see through to the other side of the hall to the ‘workshop,’ which was really just a storage room with a fireplace, but they’d gone out of their way to turn the cramped space into a sort of makeshift-sitting room.

“They’re fun,” Ravio remarked, speaking low, so his voice was drowned out by the splashing water. Legend grinned.

“Yeah, they really are,” he agreed quietly, stacking another plate to the side. He was purposely taking it slow, trying to have as much time alone as possible.

Then the merchant went quiet, as if he were thinking, his head cocked to the side. Legend waited bemusedly, wondering if he’d done something wrong.

“So… Which one is it?” Ravio flashed him a grin, eyes twinkling.

“Which one—? Oh.” Legend narrowed his eyes, flicking some water at his lover and making him flinch. Ravio pouted and splashed twice as much water back. “I am _not_ telling you that,” he huffed while he rubbed the droplets off his face.

“Is it the pretty one? The knight?” Ravio questioned him anyway, his smile widening.

“Ugh, _no_ , absolutely not him,” Legend groaned, disgusted at the thought of _anyone_ being interested in Warriors.

“Ah, what a shame.” Legend hip-checked him, making Ravio giggle. “... The one with the tattoos?” Ravio asked instead, looking a bit dreamy. “He looks so strong… Yes, definitely the strong and silent type…”

Legend felt a twinge of jealousy. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize I wasn’t your type,” he gibed, letting a bit of his discomfort sneak into his voice.

“Link, you _are_ the strong and silent type,” Ravio said in a deadpan voice. Legend paused, staring at the dish in his hands, brain working.

“... Huh. I guess I’ve gotten used to being the talkative one,” he muttered, looking at his warped reflection in the white porcelain.

“So it’s not my imagination, then: you _are_ talking more,” Ravio mused, giving him a truly sincere smile. “Interesting.”

Legend shook his head. “Only because they’re all so quiet,” he argued, wondering what else he’d been blind to without Ravio’s input. Honestly, Ravio was about two-thirds of his common sense, and Warriors and Wild might as well as have set fire to the last third. “I’d go crazy if there’s _nothing_ to listen to, might as well fill the silence myself.”

“Hmm.” Ravio looked thoughtful and fond, green eyes half-closed, and Legend felt himself redden, wondering what Ravio was thinking about, and whether or not it was him. They washed the dishes in silence for a few minutes, and then Ravio looked up again, attentive once more.

“Is it the older one, then?”

Legend recoiled, a bit offended. Surely Ravio wasn’t suggesting what he thought he was suggesting. “... I’m sorry?” 

“I’d call him a silver fox, but he’s as blond as a dandelion,” Ravio explained as if he was talking about the weather. “I wouldn’t expect you to like older men, but that one has _sex appeal_.”

Legend couldn’t help himself; he whacked Ravio upside the head, sure now that he was blushing full-force (how was it that this man knew exactly how to humiliate him?), scattering bubbles everywhere.

Ravio snorted, ducking his head down with a childish grin. Despite it all, Legend couldn’t help but be enamored by his impish actions, the little bubbles in his hair.

Over Ravio’s shoulder, he caught sight of someone stepping into the kitchen. He turned in spite of himself, worried that they’d been caught being too affectionate.

It was Hyrule, holding the last couple mugs that the other’s had taken into the workshop. Legend froze, torn: Hyrule was the one he trusted most concerning his relationship with Ravio, but honestly, his dream still nagged at him. The guilt he’d been harboring for the last few days was all but absolved, but that had only made room for other thoughts and feelings. What _were_ his thoughts on Hyrule? They were close—maybe the closest pair of their group—and it made him worry that there really _was_ something less-than-platonic there.

Oblivious to Legend’s thoughts, Hyrule gave his friend a knowing smirk, raising an eyebrow at Ravio’s back. Thinking back to their conversation the night before (Was it really just the night before? Legend wondered distantly), he realized now that his soft spot for Ravio must be pretty obvious to his predecessor. 

“I brought the last two mugs,” Hyrule announced, placing them down with the dwindling pile of used dishes. “Sorry it took us so long to finish them.”

“Neither of these were yours,” Legend derided, but gave Hyrule a smirk. To hell with it— Hyrule was still his best friend, and much too considerate for his own good.

“Yeah, well…” The traveler shrugged, looking sheepish. “I wanted to help clean up a bit. You two’ve done a lot for us.”

“Psshh.” Legend waved him away, still smiling. “You better go relax before I _make_ you, ‘Rulie.”

It was the first time he’d felt brave enough to call Hyrule that in what felt like ages. He still felt a tingle of embarrassment as the nickname left his lips, but Hyrule didn’t seem to notice; he just shared Legend’s smile and clapped him on the shoulder before joining the others again.

Legend looked after him, absentmindedly wiping an already-spotless cup, wondering if things were going back to normal between them.

“ _Ooohh._ ” Ravio let out an evil laugh, and Legend turned pale. “It’s _that_ one, isn’t it?”

“No,” he denied shortly, finally placing the clean mug down. “It’s not.”

“Oh, it is!” Ravio bounced on the balls of his feet as he finished up the last few utensils. “Oh, oh, this is _interesting_!”

Legend did _not_ like that tone of voice. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, and I’m not telling you which one it is.”

“You call that one after this land of yours, right? ‘Hyrule?’” Ravio went on without acknowledging Legend in the slightest. “He must have come up and asked to help twelve times while we were cooking. And he’s so slight, so quiet, with those doe-y eyes—”

Legend splashed a good cupful of water onto Ravio’s face, desperate to shut him up.

“Mr. Hero! How _could_ you?”

When they sat down with the others, Legend had to bring a towel with him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. If I had a nickel for everytime I misread 'Wild' as 'Wind' and vice versa, I _might_ be able to buy something at Ravio's shop.  
> 2\. I wrote out "I had this dream" and almost gave _myself_ a heart attack when I remembered Link's Awakening.  
> 3\. I'd always been confused about Ravio's name until I wrote "ravio" and "rabbit" in the same sentence and face-palmed.
> 
> Ya'll give me the strength to actually write this stuff, I hope you continue to enjoy! <3


	3. Sweet Beloved

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well!  
> I had writer's block for the _longest time_ while writing this! I knew where I wanted the story to go, but I was trying to balance a lot of stuff IRL, so it took _forever_. It's a little short, but hope you all like it, anyway!
> 
>  **This is the LAST chapter** , but I'll be posting a **BONUS chapter** later on. (You'll notice the tags have changed slightly to reflect this, mwahaha!) If you felt like something was missing in this fic, hopefully you'll find what you're looking for in that sorta/kinda epilogue thing.
> 
> Enjoy!

Around sunset, Legend found himself wanting some peace and quiet.

It wasn't that he wasn't enjoying himself: it was wonderful to see all of his friends bonding with Ravio, even if they thought of the Lorulean as just a quirky roommate, not Legend’s boyfriend. Ravio seemed to be having a lot of fun, too—though it didn’t take long for them to notice his quick wit, the verbal sparring he had a knack for. In other words, they'd noticed how similar the two of them were in nature.

That caused a lot of teasing, and a few _extremely_ pointed looks from Hyrule. Warriors even had the nerve to suggest that Hyrule should be careful, else he'd end up “with the same crabby attitude as Legend.” Obviously he didn't truly mean anything by it, but Legend felt just a bit miffed, considering what he'd gone through the past few days. He didn't feel bad when Twilight muttered, “Better than ending up like _you_.”

But, truthfully, he needed air. He left Ravio's side, complaining about how annoying they all were, and decided to step outdoors for a few minutes. It was good to be wrapped in the soft sounds of his land's night, the crickets and the occasional owl, the stars spreading out like an elaborate embroidered quilt overhead. Off in the distance, he could see the twinkling lights of the nearby village, the only civilization for miles.

He'd only been out there a few minutes, leaning against a dilapidated fence and staring out at those lights, when he heard the front door open. Light was cast onto the grass, and then the door closed again.

“Getting a little loud in there,” Hyrule's voice called across the empty space. Legend sighed, turning to face his friend.

It was weird to be with Hyrule alone, on this cool autumn night, under the bright moon. He’d found himself out here with Ravio countless times, admitting deeply-buried secrets and whispering sweet nothings. Yet, he remained stoic as Hyrule rested against the gnarled wooden fence beside him, dramatically sighing as if the weight of the world was on him.

Well, technically, it _was_ on him—on all of them—but Legend could appreciate the theatrics.

“Could you believe,” Hyrule complained to Legend, still playful in his tone, “that Wind suggested I dye my hair some flowery color? That we should all do so, to match you and Ravio?”

Legend chuckled, watching the village lights twinkle. “Sounds like him.”

“Then, could you believe that Time _agreed_?”

Legend turned to his friend, and Hyrule’s large grin was easy to make out even in the low light.

“He’s messing with you,” Legend huffed, though a matching smile tugged onto his face. Hyrule rolled his eyes.

“Obviously. I could barely stand it when _your_ hair was all pink, it was like looking at the sun, it was so _blinding_.”

Legend shoved Hyrule playfully, and they both burst into giggles.

This was nice. It was something they hadn’t gotten to experience lately, thanks to Legend’s careful avoidance. He wondered, in a moment of amiable silence, if that had been the wrong choice to make.

After a minute, Hyrule hummed quietly, catching Legend’s attention.

“It’s him, right?”

Well, it wasn’t like he’d tried particularly hard to hide his affection for the hooded merchant, and Hyrule was _always_ smarter than he let on. Legend shrugged a shoulder, not meeting the Traveler’s eyes, but couldn’t help the smile on his lips.

“Don’t know what you mean.”

“C’mon,” Hyrule laughed softly. “I see the way you look at him. You said you found someone; I can’t imagine you acting more infatuated with anyone else.”

Legend pouted. ‘Infatuated’ was a strong word, he wasn’t _that_ obvious.

“Well,” he confessed grumpily, “at least I got out of describing him to you.”

Hyrule _beamed_ , and it honestly hurt Legend’s heart in the _best_ way, seeing his closest friend so happy for him. The guilt that had been following him around like a shadow the past couple weeks reared its ugly head again, and he looked away, hoping to stave off the feeling so he could just enjoy their moment together.

“Honestly? It’s an interesting choice,” Hyrule teased, not unkindly, and Legend chuckled again at that. “The rabbit-thing and the secrecy threw me off for a second, but he seems genuine. A little pushy, maybe, but you seem like the kind of person who needs it.” Yeah, that sounded accurate.

“He’s a weird one, but I’m just as bad,” Legend admitted, and he was thankful for the darkness, hoping it covered the blush that was surely rising on his face. “Honestly, he’s—he likes to put on a show, you know? But deep down—really, not even that deep down—he’s just gentle and strong and _incredibly_ intelligent.”

Yes, he was fond of Hyrule, but that fondness was no match for the overwhelming love he felt for Ravio. They’d been through so much together, they’d shared such a strong connection, and through it all, Ravio had just been trying to make the best of an awful situation, trying to fix their worlds’ problems as best he could. How could he _not_ fall in love with a person like that? Someone who understood Legend better than even he himself did, and yet who knew how to love him anyway?

‘Overwhelming’ was certainly the word, and he blinked away the prickling in his eyes, playing with the rings on his fingers. Some of those had been given—‘ _rented_ ,’ Ravio’s voice teased in his head, ‘ _in exchange for kisses_ ’—to him by the hooded merchant, in various stages of their relationship. They were precious gifts, delicate jewelry with powerful charms of protection, a promise that Legend would come home to him safe and sound.

“...I thought I'd never love again,” Legend admitted, quietly, to his friend. Hyrule listened silently, attentively, his eyes betraying the sympathy he felt for the Collector. “And it made me into an idiot. But… that didn't matter to him. Every time I got in my own head, he'd just laugh and say that I was good at bullshitting myself.” He hummed fondly at the lights in the distance, remembering how patient, how unimaginably kind Ravio had been. “At first I thought it was annoying, but he was right. I wasn't going to move on if I just sat around feeling sorry for myself all day.”

“He sounds like a godsend,” Hyrule murmured, smiling despite the seriousness. “I’m so happy you have him.”

“So am I,” Legend agreed, but the small, jagged point of guilt pricked the staggering affection in his chest, souring it. He _longed_ to make that feeling go away, to simply love his beloved and shake off any qualms. But who else could he seek comfort from, if not his lover, than his best friend?

“Rule,” Legend began, and he could see that the Traveler sensed his change in demeanor, straightening himself up from the fence. “Have you ever had a crush on someone... while committed to someone else?” The shame surged like a wave, and Legend hastened to explain himself. “Not that I would ever give up Ravio for a crush, but… it’s bothering me.”

Hyrule was silent for a moment, and while Legend was worried, he also recognized this silence: Hyrule was weighing his options, trying to figure out the right words to say. Finally, he sighed.

“Well, no,” he apologized, looking troubled, “I've never been in that situation. But…” His eyes lit up a bit, and he looked off to the side. “... if I _did_ somehow find myself with that problem... I think I'd ask _both_ if they'd wanted to be committed.”

It took a moment for Legend to process what Hyrule had said.

“ _Both_?” he echoed, a little bit shocked. “That... That seems unfair to them, doesn't it? You'd be going behind their backs—” 

“You misunderstand me,” Hyrule interrupted, looking sheepish, still not meeting his eyes. “I meant sharing the relationship between all _three_ of you. ... If you're willing.”

Oh.

Well, Hyrule certainly was full of surprises—but yet, that was how they’d become friends in the first place, wasn’t it? Legend making obnoxious, extreme claims, and Hyrule timidly adding his two cents, one-upping Legend every time. It was a wonderful delight to see such a gentle, straightforward person so open and accepting of everything, and if it was his direct reincarnation, well, all the better.

But that suggestion… was out of the question. There was nothing wrong with it, in practicality, it was just… not Legend’s cup of tea. He was jealous by nature, he knew that about himself. And he wouldn’t know the first thing about sharing love between more than one other person.

And to invoke that idea with Hyrule? It gave Legend deep relief that he could easily and adamantly draw that line in the sand. As much as this had become an actual _crush_ , he couldn’t bring himself to imagine staking a claim with Hyrule. Hyrule deserved a better commitment than a half-hearted physical attraction from him. 

“... No, I don't think I am willing,” Legend decided with a feeling of finality.

Hyrule grinned, and Legend braced himself for more snark.

“What, you don't want to share your lovers?” Hyrule teased openly, assured that Legend meant no offense, “Are you that kind of coveter, too? A collector of pretty-looking singles?”

“Tch! Don't be ridiculous,” Legend answered him with a dismissing wave of his hand. If only Hyrule knew just how pretty that ‘single’ was. “Ravio is enough of a handful, thank you.” They both laughed, but Legend felt the need to clarify, to make sure Hyrule understood exactly what was bothering him:

“... It feels so wrong to have _thoughts_ about someone when you're in love with someone else,” he mumbled into the cool wind, and _that_ was the heart of the problem, wasn’t it? Shame colored his cheeks again at the thought.

Hyrule tilted his head to the side, considering, picking at the wood beneath his fingers. “Have you considered that you might just... miss Ravio?”

Legend scoffed at the obvious notion. “Of course I've missed him!”

“No, I mean…” Hyrule made a vague gesture with his hand, making the face he always made when he felt he’d been misunderstood, and had to explain his sense of logic. “You've missed him, so your brain just grabbed hold of the next best option?”

That brought Legend up short.

… Really? Could it just be his subconscious just playing tricks on him? Maybe that was too simple of an explanation. Legend liked Hyrule as a very good friend, and now, recently, he was able to admit to himself that he lusted after Hyrule a fair bit, too. Maybe he really had mapped his feelings of comradery and attraction with Ravio onto the only other person close to him. He wasn’t quite sure, but he would gladly accept the excuse.

“... That... could be it…” he sighed, feeling foolish. He had been desperate, he _was_ desperate to spend some time alone with Ravio, after all, and now he was so close.

“Then what are you doing, man?!” Hyrule grabbed hold of him, pushing him towards the door, with a joyous laugh. “Go be with your boyfriend! You’re wasting time!”

“You're right!” Legend exclaimed, letting himself be dragged along, “I shouldn't be…” _Shouldn’t be out here, shouldn’t be talking to someone else,_ should be _making good of the limited time he had with his partner_. Legend sighed, sharply aware that he was his own worst saboteur. “I'm so dumb.”

“Sometimes.” Hyrule grinned, and they both giggled.

“C'mon,” Legend called, already reaching for the door handle, not wanting to leave his friend (who obviously cared about him too much) out in the field alone.

“Good! I'm exhausted.” Hyrule jogged to catch up. Before Legend could open the door, Hyrule turned to him and asked, expression sly, “Do I ever get to find out who this mystery crush is?”

“No.” Legend shot him down easily, perfectly deadpan. 

Hyrule turned sheepish and shrugged his shoulders. Was it the moonlight, or was there a knowing glint in his eye? Legend decided to assume the former.

“Figured as much.” 

Legend scoffed, and opened the door back into his and Ravio’s home. 

The others seemed happy that they’d returned, quickly bringing him up to speed on the conversation (something about bird people, and whether their differing descriptions were about the same race). It wasn’t something Legend was particularly interested in, but Ravio looked fully engrossed, so he snuggled into the spot on the couch between him and Wind.

It was cozy, the fire crackling, the small room filled with his dear friends, all in various positions of relaxation. Legend wanted to enjoy himself, but Hyrule’s words—and his own, slightly embarrassing, desires—kept echoing in his head. Ravio’s curls looked gorgeous in the orange glow; it was a beautiful contrast against the dark purple. He watched the way the merchant laughed and joked with his friends. He’d taken his hood off and was playing with the ears, something he only ever did when he was relaxed (adorable), and he didn’t seem too annoyed when Wind tried to take up more space (sweet). Legend tried not to think of how Ravio’s smile would look beneath him, sultry and teasing—no, not now, he was with his _friends_ , and that could result in something mortifying.

Then Ravio caught his eye, and Legend sucked in a breath when he saw his own desire and impatience mirrored back at him. _Ah, screw it_ , he decided.

“You know what?” Legend said, interrupting whatever Twilight was saying, “I’m going to bed.”

There were several complaints around the room, but the only person’s reaction Legend cared about was Ravio’s. The merchant was silent, a small smile on his face, as he examined his fingernails. _Yep, he got the message_. Legend stood up, being careful not to send Wind flying as he disrupted the cushions.

“You're going to sleep so soon?” Four complained, giving him a disappointed frown. “C'mon, Legend—”

Seven people winced, and Legend couldn’t help but feel a little guilty. 

Four shut with his mouth with a click and opened it again. “I mean, _Link_ —”

“Oh, relax, I know you all call him Legend," Ravio huffed without missing a beat, still looking at his nails. “And I know your names are all Link. He told me about you guys ages ago.”

Legend slapped a hand to his forehead at Ravio’s nonchalant announcement. There was a bit of a stunned silence, and then Wild practically fell out of his chair.

“You mean earlier, when you asked me—when I was telling you about our ‘ _family history_ ’—you _knew_ ?! You knew the whole time and you didn't _say anything_?!” The young champion looked mortified and outraged.

“Yes, of course,” Ravio chuckled easily, and Legend could see the mischievous twinkle in his eye, the only thing that got past his deadpan attitude. “Whose mother names her kid 'Wild?' Much less has eight estranged sons—all with different fathers, mind you!—traveling together?” Legend couldn’t help but snort at the ridiculous story; he'd have to ask Ravio exactly what Wild had said, and of course how much he’d floundered as he spun the tale.

“ _That's_ what you told him?" Sky asked, sounding insulted. Wild threw his hands in the air.

“You try coming up with something on the spot! At least I said Time was our uncle!”

“I'm your what now?” Time looked equally as displeased.

Legend couldn’t help but let out a bark of laughter, and Ravio quickly joined him. Some of the others looked a bit annoyed, but a few of them also seemed relieved that they could be straightforward about their adventure.

As they laughed, Ravio stood up (Wind stretched out on the couch immediately). “Legend’s right,” he sighed as the chuckles faded, “It’s late, we should be heading to bed.”

“Not me,” Wind argued, and a few of the others added their complaints.

“You two are _boring_.”

“We can stay up a little longer.”

“Right, Time? Right?”

Time shrugged, a twinkle of amusement in his eye. “As long as we get to the market by noon.”

They all cheered, and Hyrule turned to Legend, grinning from his perch on the fluffiest armchair.

“Suddenly I’m not as tired as I thought I was,” he joked, and Legend saw the dare in his eyes, challenging him to choose Ravio blatantly, in front of all their friends. From the staircase, Ravio huffed when he saw Legend hesitate, and Legend’s stomach sank when he realized what the merchant was going to say.

“Are you coming with me, or what?”

Ah. There it was. The situation couldn’t be more obvious.

Legend looked at the faces around him: Warriors' raised eyebrows, as if putting the pieces together; Sky's pursed lips, a little stunned at the turn of events; Time's knowing smile, just a bit infuriating; Wild's curious eyes, round as coins. Hyrule was smiling, too, looking a bit embarrassed for the Veteran, but mostly proud of him.

Legend gave them all a theatrical sigh. “Yes, I’m coming,” he called, following Ravio up the steps. Without looking at his friends, he waved them good night.

“Are they dating?” they heard Wind whisper to the group with a snicker. Without breaking stride, Ravio turned and gave Legend a shit-eating grin, as if the others knowing about Legend's personal matters delighted him greatly.

They barely got to the top of the steps before Legend cornered him against the wall again, irritation and lust sparking in his eyes. “Is your sole purpose to make my life hell?” he growled quietly, so the sound wouldn't carry.

“As long as you want it to be,” was Ravio's rebuttal, grin still plastered on his face. Legend gave him an intense stare—he knew it worked, because Ravio's response was to shiver and blush—and pulled him into their bedroom without another word.

Honestly, the others hadn't ever stopped on the second floor, but if they had, the knowledge that there was only one bedroom would've been the only clue they needed to know _exactly_ what was going on.

The next day, Legend would wake up to the most teasing he’d ever endured, but he wouldn’t mind. Not when he’d been given this chance to share his sweet beloved—share his _home—_ with his new family.


End file.
